DETROIT – With hundreds of nonprofits working to improve the Metro Detroit community, it can be hard to keep track of them all.
A new organization is making it easier than ever to discover the many nonprofits serving the Greater Detroit area -- especially for people looking to donate their time to causes they care about.
Share Detroit, which launched in February of this year, is now serving as a database of Metro Detroit nonprofits.
“It’s so hard for regular community members to learn of smaller nonprofits that are doing such important work. They don’t have any visibility,” said Janette Phillips, executive director of Share Detroit. “The typical ones -- Forgotten Harvest, Gleaners, Focus: HOPE -- they get a lot of press; people know who they are. But a place like this -- like Christ Child House, Mercy Education Project where I used to work, Sienna Literacy Center in northwest Detroit -- they’re small. They’re just doing the job. So this is important to give everyone an equal platform.”
Share Detroit initially launched with 50 nonprofits in its database. After going live three months ago, the organization’s database now includes 150 local nonprofits and continues to grow.
Nonprofits can apply to join Share Detroit’s database on the organization’s website right here. Once approved, Share Detroit lists information about the nonprofit like ways to donate online, events, an Amazon wish list and ways to volunteer.
The organization is determined to grow its database of nonprofits, with goals of listing 600 to eventually 1,000 organizations on the Share Detroit website.
“When the community comes, they will go in and they will look for something that speaks to them,” Phillips said. “You know, ‘I want to support girls in education in Detroit, or in Pontiac, or in Inkster,’ and they will find the right nonprofit to support. Maybe volunteer, maybe buy a few things off the wish list, hopefully eventually donate cash on our site.”
As a nonprofit itself, Share Detroit raises its own funds to support their work, taking nothing from the organizations listed in their database. As the nonprofit’s database grows in size and popularity, it’s truly a win-win for organizations in our region.
Visit Share Detroit’s website here for more information.
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